MainGlobalRussian Federation says United States knows it strictly complies with INF Treaty

Russian Federation says United States knows it strictly complies with INF Treaty

06 December, 2018

If Russia fails to take action and destroy the SSC-8 missiles and launchers, which the USA says are in violation of the landmark 1987 arms pact, Washington will initiate the formal process to withdraw from the treaty, according to Pompeo.

"Our nations have a choice".

The bilateral treaty between Washington and Moscow banned all land-based cruise and ballistic missiles with a range between 310-3,410 miles.

In October, President Donald Trump sparked global concern by declaring the United States would pull out of the deal and build up America's nuclear stockpile "until people come to their senses".

Russian officials have repeatedly dismissed such demands and Putin gave no indication that Russia plans to abandon the 9M729, which it claims does not violate the treaty.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said it was "essential to act in a firm and united way", warning Moscow it would bear the responsibility if the treaty collapsed. "We strongly support the finding of the United States that Russian Federation is in material breach of its obligations under the INF Treaty", the NATO foreign ministers said.

The treaty, negotiated by President Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, prevents the USA and Russian Federation them from building or deploying nuclear-capable missiles and launch systems with a range of 300 to 3,400 miles.

Pompeo said the United States would welcome it if Russian Federation destroys that program within the next two months and then complies with the INF Treaty's terms.

"We either bury our head in the sand or we take common-sense action in response to Russia's flagrant disregard for the express terms of the INF Treaty", Pompeo said December 4, at a press conference during the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting in Belgium. However, NATO later determined that Russian Federation had acted in violation of the treaty.

Meanwhile, in Brussels Tuesday, during a separate speech hosted by the German Marshall Fund of the United States, Pompeo dismissed claims that the United States was withdrawing from the worldwide stage under President Donald Trump's "America First" policy.

Britain's chief of the defence staff, General Sir Nick Carter, has also said Russian Federation is in breach of the agreement - telling MPs "we need to call them out" for a deployment of "systems which break the 500km to 5,000km range".

NATO said it was now "up to Russia" to save the treaty.

The US Arms Control Association (ACA) in a press release said it was disappointed in Stoltenberg's failure to pursue a diplomatic solution.

Until then, Pompeo said, the USA would not "test or produce or deploy any systems" that would breach the treaty.

"Its range makes it a direct menace to Europe", he told a new conference after a meeting with his North Atlantic Treaty Organisation counterparts.

Brainard also said he was really disappointed to see Trump cancel his one-on-one with Putin at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires over the weekend because the two leaders could have held productive discussions on issues like the INF Treaty.

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